When the City of Los Angeles dubbed a square mile of North Hollywood the NoHo Arts District in 1992, the area was becoming home to an ever-increasing number of small theaters and art galleries, as well as dance, acting and film academies. The neighborhood gained even more cachet in 2000 as an attractive haunt for creatives when a new Metro subway stop opened, providing affordable transportation to the center of the neighborhood at Lankershim and Magnolia.
When the storied, family-owned Laemmle Theatres arthouse chain opened the NoHo 7 in 2011, it brought even more arts street cred to the block. The theater doesn’t have the architectural glamor of downtown’s old movie palaces, but it quickly became a neighborhood favorite with its attractive blend of blockbusters and arthouse fare, film festivals and other indie events.
However, the beloved NoHo 7 may be gone by year end, sacrificed to keep the rest of Laemmle’s theaters open.
When the storied, family-owned Laemmle Theatres arthouse chain opened the NoHo 7 in 2011, it brought even more arts street cred to the block. The theater doesn’t have the architectural glamor of downtown’s old movie palaces, but it quickly became a neighborhood favorite with its attractive blend of blockbusters and arthouse fare, film festivals and other indie events.
However, the beloved NoHo 7 may be gone by year end, sacrificed to keep the rest of Laemmle’s theaters open.
- 9/15/2023
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
“It was a contributor to the specialty box office, and I hope it will be again,” says Laemmle CEO Greg Laemmle of MoviePass, the subscription service that unsurprisingly went bankrupt in early 2020 after offering a movie a day for ten bucks a month.
A co-founder Stacy Spikes, who was pushed out amid strategic differences with new owners, including the $9.95 plan, acquired the assets out of bankruptcy in 2021. He relaunched MoviePass yesterday after months of beta testing. The movie-a-day-plan, which left the service subsidizing most tickets, “was never going to work,” Sikes tells Deadline. AMC had actually threatened to sue, saying the plan wasn’t sustainable and set consumers up “for ultimate disappointment down the road.” Its bankruptcy filing listed more than 12,000 subscribers it may have owned money to.
The new MoviePass has four tiers from $10 for 1-3 movies, to a limited availability $40 plan with 30 movies a month. Each plan also...
A co-founder Stacy Spikes, who was pushed out amid strategic differences with new owners, including the $9.95 plan, acquired the assets out of bankruptcy in 2021. He relaunched MoviePass yesterday after months of beta testing. The movie-a-day-plan, which left the service subsidizing most tickets, “was never going to work,” Sikes tells Deadline. AMC had actually threatened to sue, saying the plan wasn’t sustainable and set consumers up “for ultimate disappointment down the road.” Its bankruptcy filing listed more than 12,000 subscribers it may have owned money to.
The new MoviePass has four tiers from $10 for 1-3 movies, to a limited availability $40 plan with 30 movies a month. Each plan also...
- 5/26/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
One year after Los Angeles’ beloved Landmark closed, the city’s exhibition scene is looking a little brighter – or at least, it will be when a few long-awaited venues open or reopen in 2023, including the Vista, the Egyptian and the new Vidiots outpost at the Eagle Theatre.
Between grappling with the stratospherically priced L.A. commercial real estate and persuading adults to return to movie theaters, the local exhibition scene has weathered numerous challenges since Covid forced businesses to shutter operations.
“It’s better than last year for sure, because Covid is officially over May 11,” says Sony Pictures Classics co-president Tom Bernard, referencing the end of the federal public health emergency declaration. “So that is a great piece of information for people — they will probably go out more when they feel the official end to the pandemic.”
Local cinephiles got a dose of optimism with Monday’s announcement that the...
Between grappling with the stratospherically priced L.A. commercial real estate and persuading adults to return to movie theaters, the local exhibition scene has weathered numerous challenges since Covid forced businesses to shutter operations.
“It’s better than last year for sure, because Covid is officially over May 11,” says Sony Pictures Classics co-president Tom Bernard, referencing the end of the federal public health emergency declaration. “So that is a great piece of information for people — they will probably go out more when they feel the official end to the pandemic.”
Local cinephiles got a dose of optimism with Monday’s announcement that the...
- 4/19/2023
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
As movie lovers, and especially as movie lovers who value the theatrical experience, it’s been a hard few years, even before the Covid-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, which seemed the death knell of the theatrical experience. Movie theaters, those great gathering places to be together, or alone together, taking in big screen dreams, closed as the airborne virus swept the globe, and streaming behemoths filled the void with a never-ending beam of content pointed directly into our homes.
Would movie theaters survive? What of the theaters that specialize in arthouse, international and indie content? Would anyone ever want to leave their house for a movie again? These questions plagued the industry, cinephiles and especially exhibitors in the rocky period of 2020-2021, and we’re not out of the woods just yet.
This is the harrowing context of Rafael Sbarge’s documentary, “Only in Theaters,” which is half celebration of...
Would movie theaters survive? What of the theaters that specialize in arthouse, international and indie content? Would anyone ever want to leave their house for a movie again? These questions plagued the industry, cinephiles and especially exhibitors in the rocky period of 2020-2021, and we’re not out of the woods just yet.
This is the harrowing context of Rafael Sbarge’s documentary, “Only in Theaters,” which is half celebration of...
- 1/19/2023
- by Katie Walsh
- The Wrap
Modern Films, a leading London-based film banner which notably distributed “Drive My Car,” will release Dina Amer’s emotional and thought-provoking character study “You Resemble Me” in the U.K. and Ireland.
The movie, which world premiered at Venice last year, tells the journey of Hasna Aït Boulahcen, a fragile, young Muslim woman who became linked to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and was wrongly believed to be Europe’s first female suicide bomber.
Exploring the roots of radicalization through a layered coming-of-age story, the movie marks the feature debut of Amer, an Egyptian-American filmmaker and award-winning journalist. The movie is executive produced by Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Riz Ahmed and Alma Har’el.
“I’m thrilled to be working on this film with such a dedicated and talented team to bring it to audiences in the U.K. and Ireland, tying together the story of the fragility of youth,...
The movie, which world premiered at Venice last year, tells the journey of Hasna Aït Boulahcen, a fragile, young Muslim woman who became linked to the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris and was wrongly believed to be Europe’s first female suicide bomber.
Exploring the roots of radicalization through a layered coming-of-age story, the movie marks the feature debut of Amer, an Egyptian-American filmmaker and award-winning journalist. The movie is executive produced by Spike Lee, Spike Jonze, Riz Ahmed and Alma Har’el.
“I’m thrilled to be working on this film with such a dedicated and talented team to bring it to audiences in the U.K. and Ireland, tying together the story of the fragility of youth,...
- 12/7/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with Angelika participation: The Angelika arthouse chain will join National Cinema Day on Sat. Sept. 5 with 3 specially priced admission to any current release plus popcorn and soda of any size for 3 each. The chain had initially planned to pass on the promotion but decided today that it would take part.
The Angelika’s move shows shows gathering momentum for the event, designed to pull as many people into theaters as possible at a critical moment for moviegoing. The 3 tickets, however, are still a big ask for smaller chains and independent theaters.
Previously: A glum weekend box office overall (one of the worst of the year) wasn’t so awful for specialty, relatively speaking, with Breaking passing 1M on 900 screens and Spanish-language The Good Boss at 27K on 15. Both are a far cry from pre-pandemic numbers but did hit the new normal for limited releases – reaching at least 1 million on 500 to 1,000 screens,...
The Angelika’s move shows shows gathering momentum for the event, designed to pull as many people into theaters as possible at a critical moment for moviegoing. The 3 tickets, however, are still a big ask for smaller chains and independent theaters.
Previously: A glum weekend box office overall (one of the worst of the year) wasn’t so awful for specialty, relatively speaking, with Breaking passing 1M on 900 screens and Spanish-language The Good Boss at 27K on 15. Both are a far cry from pre-pandemic numbers but did hit the new normal for limited releases – reaching at least 1 million on 500 to 1,000 screens,...
- 8/30/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
While the debt-ridden Cineworld Group weighs a bankruptcy filing, citing the upcoming lack of fall wide releases, smaller theaters and chains are less fazed by the slowdown.
As many theater owners are quick to point out, August, September and October are always seasonally slower months for film releases, but this year, there are even fewer high-profile Hollywood wide releases due to pandemic-related delays in the postproduction sector.
However, thanks to a mix of cost-cutting measures and the ability to lean into art house films and other programming, smaller theater owners say they’re able to weather the season. Ditto for the larger circuits, such as Cinemark or Cineplex, who aren’t facing the same debt issues as Cineworld and AMC Entertainment. (Studio distributors counter that Cineworld is using the slowdown as a scapegoat.)
Cineworld Group, the second-largest theater chain in the world and owner of Regal Cinemas,...
While the debt-ridden Cineworld Group weighs a bankruptcy filing, citing the upcoming lack of fall wide releases, smaller theaters and chains are less fazed by the slowdown.
As many theater owners are quick to point out, August, September and October are always seasonally slower months for film releases, but this year, there are even fewer high-profile Hollywood wide releases due to pandemic-related delays in the postproduction sector.
However, thanks to a mix of cost-cutting measures and the ability to lean into art house films and other programming, smaller theater owners say they’re able to weather the season. Ditto for the larger circuits, such as Cinemark or Cineplex, who aren’t facing the same debt issues as Cineworld and AMC Entertainment. (Studio distributors counter that Cineworld is using the slowdown as a scapegoat.)
Cineworld Group, the second-largest theater chain in the world and owner of Regal Cinemas,...
- 8/26/2022
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“People are catching up on films,” is how one arthouse executive described the current moment in specialty, which echoes the slowdown in studio wide releases.
August can be slow ahead of a trio of festivals – Venice, Toronto, New York – and a ramp up to awards season. It can also offer an less obstructed runway for specialty films to cross over (Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma). This summer has been slow, but strong word of mouth has boosted select films. Warner Bros.’ Elvis for one, is at 143 million, pushing five times what it made opening weekend. Focus Features’ Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris opened at 2 million but will cross 10 million. Rrr is a phenomenon, passing 11M. Greg Laemmle said he’s bringing the blockbuster from India back on August 26. Laemmle is also holding an event screening for Neon documentary Fire Of Love next Wed. and hopes that will keep other runs going.
August can be slow ahead of a trio of festivals – Venice, Toronto, New York – and a ramp up to awards season. It can also offer an less obstructed runway for specialty films to cross over (Gwyneth Paltrow in Emma). This summer has been slow, but strong word of mouth has boosted select films. Warner Bros.’ Elvis for one, is at 143 million, pushing five times what it made opening weekend. Focus Features’ Mrs. Harris Goes To Paris opened at 2 million but will cross 10 million. Rrr is a phenomenon, passing 11M. Greg Laemmle said he’s bringing the blockbuster from India back on August 26. Laemmle is also holding an event screening for Neon documentary Fire Of Love next Wed. and hopes that will keep other runs going.
- 8/19/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 is going animated whimsical with Marcel the Shell With Shoes On, Neon opens Beba, Cohen Media Group presents Apples, IFC Midnight Flux Gourmet and Abramorama a documentary The Human Trial in limited release at arthouse cinemas.
These venues have been doing a bit better, slowly luring Covid-spooked key older demos back into the theater-going habit, attracting some younger viewers (and playing big franchise movies because they have to). Greg Laemmle, CEO of Laemmle Theatres, understands recovery takes time, especially with independent distributors spending less on marketing. That’s why he counts more than ever on reviews to attract an audience.
“Our theatres have been open for over a year since the 13-month shutdown, and every week we present an array of smaller foreign-language films, documentaries, and indie features. Distributors aren’t advertising in print like they did pre-pandemic. But if you look in the LA Times every day, you...
These venues have been doing a bit better, slowly luring Covid-spooked key older demos back into the theater-going habit, attracting some younger viewers (and playing big franchise movies because they have to). Greg Laemmle, CEO of Laemmle Theatres, understands recovery takes time, especially with independent distributors spending less on marketing. That’s why he counts more than ever on reviews to attract an audience.
“Our theatres have been open for over a year since the 13-month shutdown, and every week we present an array of smaller foreign-language films, documentaries, and indie features. Distributors aren’t advertising in print like they did pre-pandemic. But if you look in the LA Times every day, you...
- 6/24/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
The looming closure of Landmark Theatres’ Pico location is a significant loss for L.A.’s independent movie scene, which was already sorely missing the shuttered ArcLight Hollywood. Getting art-house audiences to return to cinemas has been challenging as Covid-19 variants have swept the country, and now the question is whether the city that makes movies has enough theaters to show all kinds of titles — not just blockbusters.
For moviegoers on the west side of Los Angeles, there was something special about the Landmark Pico, whose 12 screens programmed a wide variety of mostly independent and foreign films, along with industry screenings and panels.
“Around the country, including in Los Angeles, there are just fewer theaters and fewer screens than there were before the pandemic,” says Jasper Basch, IFC Films and IFC Midnight head of theatrical distribution. “The Landmark Pico’s closure is going to contribute to this problem.”
And it...
For moviegoers on the west side of Los Angeles, there was something special about the Landmark Pico, whose 12 screens programmed a wide variety of mostly independent and foreign films, along with industry screenings and panels.
“Around the country, including in Los Angeles, there are just fewer theaters and fewer screens than there were before the pandemic,” says Jasper Basch, IFC Films and IFC Midnight head of theatrical distribution. “The Landmark Pico’s closure is going to contribute to this problem.”
And it...
- 5/18/2022
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
Audiences and exhibitors may have been cheering the Spider-Man movie for months, but 2022’s most emotional theatrical experience so far is watching Greg Laemmle struggle with the fate of his family’s eponymous arthouse business in the documentary “Only in Theaters.”
Premiered at the Santa Barbara Intl. Film Festival in March, “Only” inevitably focuses on the 84-year-old Southern California theater chain’s struggle to survive — first during the 2019 downturn in specialty film attendance and then through a yearlong, Covid pandemic shutdown. The wear on the company’s third generation president is palpable and poignant.
“I’m, at some level, better than I seem in the film,” Laemmle tells Variety a year after his theaters reopened. “There have definitely been some less-than-positive developments during the 12 months since we’ve been open, but there have been some positive things, to be sure.”
Laemmle could be speaking for the whole American arthouse sector,...
Premiered at the Santa Barbara Intl. Film Festival in March, “Only” inevitably focuses on the 84-year-old Southern California theater chain’s struggle to survive — first during the 2019 downturn in specialty film attendance and then through a yearlong, Covid pandemic shutdown. The wear on the company’s third generation president is palpable and poignant.
“I’m, at some level, better than I seem in the film,” Laemmle tells Variety a year after his theaters reopened. “There have definitely been some less-than-positive developments during the 12 months since we’ve been open, but there have been some positive things, to be sure.”
Laemmle could be speaking for the whole American arthouse sector,...
- 4/23/2022
- by Robert Strauss
- Variety Film + TV
Older people, who have historically been a core component of arthouse theater audiences, have been more reluctant to return to to the cinema amid the pandemic compared to younger people. Now, the leader of one of Los Angeles’ most prominent chains has raised an idea: Maybe it’s just too early to try to bring them back.
“It’s going to take some time to acquire an audience, to reacquaint them with moviegoing. And you have to be careful — I mean, how much effort do we put into outreach during this environment versus do we need to save our ammo until the coast is clear?” Laemmle Theaters President Greg Laemmle said in an interview last week with The Boxoffice Podcast.
Laemmle offered some insight into the state of his eight Southern California locations. He said the company has focused its efforts on catering to an audience that’s ready to get back to the movies.
“It’s going to take some time to acquire an audience, to reacquaint them with moviegoing. And you have to be careful — I mean, how much effort do we put into outreach during this environment versus do we need to save our ammo until the coast is clear?” Laemmle Theaters President Greg Laemmle said in an interview last week with The Boxoffice Podcast.
Laemmle offered some insight into the state of his eight Southern California locations. He said the company has focused its efforts on catering to an audience that’s ready to get back to the movies.
- 12/26/2021
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
Six out of eight set for April 9; last two planned to open by May.
California-based Laemmle Theatres will reopen an initial wave of six cinemas on April 9 as authorities lower the Covid-19 risk assessment.
The exhibitor said on Friday (March 26) it was rehiring longtime general managers, training new and returning staff members on protocols and conducting maintenance and repair work after a year of closure.
The six of the chain’s eight sites planned to reopen on April 9 are in Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Claremont, and the new seven-screen Laemmle Newhall in Santa Clarita that completed construction last summer.
California-based Laemmle Theatres will reopen an initial wave of six cinemas on April 9 as authorities lower the Covid-19 risk assessment.
The exhibitor said on Friday (March 26) it was rehiring longtime general managers, training new and returning staff members on protocols and conducting maintenance and repair work after a year of closure.
The six of the chain’s eight sites planned to reopen on April 9 are in Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Santa Monica, Pasadena, Claremont, and the new seven-screen Laemmle Newhall in Santa Clarita that completed construction last summer.
- 3/26/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
More good news for the arthouse scene, Laemmle Theatres is reopening six of its eight Los Angeles-based cinemas on April 9.
This includes the long-awaited brand new seven-plex in Old Town Newhall up in Santa Clarita, CA. Longtime general managers are being rehired with new and returning staff members being trained.
In compliance with the CinemaSafe protocols developed by the National Association of Theatre Operators, Laemmle Theatres will be refitted with safety measures — including enhanced ventilation systems, reserved seating to ensure physical distancing, plexiglass barriers, hydrogen peroxide fogger machines, hand-sanitizing stations, plentiful personal protective equipment, and devices to make customer/staff interactions contact-free.
The historic chain, which opted not to sell during the pre-pandemic and remain family-owned, will reopen its Glendale theater in May and its Town Center in Encino even earlier, pending resolution of lease negotiations.
“It’s been a tough year on so many fronts,” said Greg Laemmle in a statement.
This includes the long-awaited brand new seven-plex in Old Town Newhall up in Santa Clarita, CA. Longtime general managers are being rehired with new and returning staff members being trained.
In compliance with the CinemaSafe protocols developed by the National Association of Theatre Operators, Laemmle Theatres will be refitted with safety measures — including enhanced ventilation systems, reserved seating to ensure physical distancing, plexiglass barriers, hydrogen peroxide fogger machines, hand-sanitizing stations, plentiful personal protective equipment, and devices to make customer/staff interactions contact-free.
The historic chain, which opted not to sell during the pre-pandemic and remain family-owned, will reopen its Glendale theater in May and its Town Center in Encino even earlier, pending resolution of lease negotiations.
“It’s been a tough year on so many fronts,” said Greg Laemmle in a statement.
- 3/26/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Greg Laemmle, who runs L.A.-based Laemmle Theatres art-house movie chain with his father, Robert, was on the fast track to expand the family business in early 2020, determined to recover from a reported 30% drop in revenue in early 2019 that raised the possibility the chain would be sold. Then the pandemic hit. Now the company is still in shutdown mode with its seven theaters and 41 screens, including a new seven-screen complex in Newhall that has yet to open to the public. The cause? What Laemmle calls “stupid” L.A. County Covid-19 protocols that do not allow outdoor movie screenings, even at limited capacity, while restaurants are allowed that privilege. “It gets a little frustrating when you think someone can go to a place, sit outdoors and watch a football game on a big screen, but then that same facility can’t put a big screen up and start showing movies,...
- 10/29/2020
- by Diane Haithman
- The Wrap
Laemmle Theatres is considering unloading at least one of its theaters that has been sitting idle for the past four months amid the pandemic-induced shutdown.
The Claremont 5 theater has already been put up for sale and the company is mulling shopping one or more of the six other theaters the 82-year-old business owns and operates in California, according to CEO Greg Laemmle.
“The only lifeline that we have as a company is that we happen to own a lot of our dirt, the theaters where we are located,” he said in an interview on the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business.” “So we are looking at options for selling maybe even in this market.”
Listen to the podcast here:
Like many exhibitors large and small nationwide, Laemmle Theatres has been out of commission since March, forcing the company to lay off nearly all of approximately 200 full-time and part-time employees.
The Claremont 5 theater has already been put up for sale and the company is mulling shopping one or more of the six other theaters the 82-year-old business owns and operates in California, according to CEO Greg Laemmle.
“The only lifeline that we have as a company is that we happen to own a lot of our dirt, the theaters where we are located,” he said in an interview on the latest episode of the Variety podcast “Strictly Business.” “So we are looking at options for selling maybe even in this market.”
Listen to the podcast here:
Like many exhibitors large and small nationwide, Laemmle Theatres has been out of commission since March, forcing the company to lay off nearly all of approximately 200 full-time and part-time employees.
- 7/8/2020
- by Andrew Wallenstein
- Variety Film + TV
The nation’s moviegoing business is coming back to life following a three-month hiatus imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The number of locations open in North America as of Friday totals 714, including 275 drive-ins, according to Comscore. That’s a gain of nearly 40% from a week ago when the total was 511.
Texas has by far the most locations open with 45, followed by Iowa with 29, Utah with 20, Florida with 18, Ohio with 16, California with 15, and Kentucky, Tennessee and Wisconsin with a dozen each. Delaware has the highest percentage of locations open at 33% (four of 12), followed. by Utah at 24% (20 of 83) and Iowa at 22% (29 of 130).
Most of the California locations are drive-ins but the Theatre Box multiplex in the San Diego’s Gaslamp District re-opened on Friday with the state’s new social distancing requirements in place. Capacity is limited to 25% and face masks are required. The facility decided to offer $5.99 discount tickets on its first day.
The number of locations open in North America as of Friday totals 714, including 275 drive-ins, according to Comscore. That’s a gain of nearly 40% from a week ago when the total was 511.
Texas has by far the most locations open with 45, followed by Iowa with 29, Utah with 20, Florida with 18, Ohio with 16, California with 15, and Kentucky, Tennessee and Wisconsin with a dozen each. Delaware has the highest percentage of locations open at 33% (four of 12), followed. by Utah at 24% (20 of 83) and Iowa at 22% (29 of 130).
Most of the California locations are drive-ins but the Theatre Box multiplex in the San Diego’s Gaslamp District re-opened on Friday with the state’s new social distancing requirements in place. Capacity is limited to 25% and face masks are required. The facility decided to offer $5.99 discount tickets on its first day.
- 6/12/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Greg Laemmle never thought he’d recommend anyone to stream a movie at home. The best way to watch a film, as any theater owner like Laemmle will tell you, is in a darkened cinema with a tub of popcorn at the ready.
But along with atomizing life as we know it, the coronavirus pandemic has entirely disrupted the business of showing motion pictures on the big screen. There’s a great deal of ambiguity over when things will return to normal, and when activities like going to the movies can safely resume. That has forced Laemmle, who runs a family-owned arthouse chain in Los Angeles, and other exhibitors to get innovative to keep their industry alive at a time when they can’t operate conventionally.
“Obviously we are concerned about generating revenue during this period,” Laemmle told Variety.
Those anxieties have propelled some mom-and-pop multiplexes to take an unlikely...
But along with atomizing life as we know it, the coronavirus pandemic has entirely disrupted the business of showing motion pictures on the big screen. There’s a great deal of ambiguity over when things will return to normal, and when activities like going to the movies can safely resume. That has forced Laemmle, who runs a family-owned arthouse chain in Los Angeles, and other exhibitors to get innovative to keep their industry alive at a time when they can’t operate conventionally.
“Obviously we are concerned about generating revenue during this period,” Laemmle told Variety.
Those anxieties have propelled some mom-and-pop multiplexes to take an unlikely...
- 4/2/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
tDriven by excellent reviews, steady word-of-mouth and an energetic marketing campaign, Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” was, by many measures, 2019’s most surprising success story. The class-conscious South Korean thriller earned more than $50 million at the U.S. box office and became the first foreign-language film to win the Oscar for best picture.
As the film finally concludes its theatrical run, the question remains: Was “Parasite” a fluke, driven by a deliciously suspenseful storyline and director Bong’s brand-name auteur status? Or are American audiences primed to continue turning subtitled films into blockbusters?
Specialty exhibitors across the country would love nothing more than to keep the momentum going.
“I think we’re always a bit surprised when something breaks through to the extent that ‘Parasite’ did,” says Greg Laemmle, president of the 81- year-old Los Angeles arthouse chain Laemmle Theatres. “We’ve never seen a film from [South] Korea do over $2 [million] or $3 million at the U.
As the film finally concludes its theatrical run, the question remains: Was “Parasite” a fluke, driven by a deliciously suspenseful storyline and director Bong’s brand-name auteur status? Or are American audiences primed to continue turning subtitled films into blockbusters?
Specialty exhibitors across the country would love nothing more than to keep the momentum going.
“I think we’re always a bit surprised when something breaks through to the extent that ‘Parasite’ did,” says Greg Laemmle, president of the 81- year-old Los Angeles arthouse chain Laemmle Theatres. “We’ve never seen a film from [South] Korea do over $2 [million] or $3 million at the U.
- 3/26/2020
- by Akiva Gottlieb
- Variety Film + TV
For the Deadline record, the Laemmle family will not be selling their 81-year old Los Angeles arthouse chain and will remain in control. We first broke the news that they were looking at suitors back in August.
Today, we also exclusively learned that the Music Hall in Beverly Hills is technically not closing. Laemmle will no longer lease the theater, rather the venue is expected to open sometime soon under the new management of former employees possibly as soon as Next Friday. Laemmle had operated the Music Hall since 1974 on a month-by-month lease. The theater is one of the city’s oldest movie houses having been around since the late 1930s.
Several sources had been telling me over the last month that Laemmle was on the verge of selling to Reading Cinemas out of NY which owns and operates the Angelika Film Center. What the Laemmles have that most major theater chains do not, are the property deeds to most of their locations, including the upcoming Newhall venue down the street from me. With property ownership comes the power to reap one’s own profits. Reading Cinema is a circuit that also owns their theaters; taking over leases I hear was not in the cards for them. Then, of course, there was no agreement in regards to the chain’s price. At the end of the day, it was better for the Laemmle family, which employs around 200, to maintain the beloved brand they built and control their own destiny. “Their heart is truly in the business, and they want to make sure this works,” says one major distribution booker who like many adores working with the family.
The indie circuit, based in the film capital of the world, counts the Claremont 5 in Claremont, the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, the Glendale, the Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, the Noho 7 in North Hollywood, the Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, the Royal in West Los Angeles and the Town Center 5 in Encino. New theaters are being developed in Azusa and Bellflower, and the Newhall location is expected to open in Q1 2020 or hopefully sooner.
The Newhall venue is located on the historic main street not far from Melody Ranch where Quentin Tarantino shot Django Unchained and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and HBO shoots Westworld and Deadwood. The Newhall site remained under construction during the sales talks and will offer Dolby 5.1 sound, digital projection, 7 auditoriums, lots of leg room and possibly beer and wine (an application is being reviewed). Plush seats are still being considered, but the location is expected to be more luxurious than their North Hollywood site, on par with Glendale.
Q4 this year has been a money-maker for Laemmle, another factor for keeping their doors open. Despite the dry spell at the indie B.O. throughout this year, pics like Parasite, The Lighthouse, Jojo Rabbit have bounced it back. And get this, even Netflix is an ample provider of income whether they’re four-walling or providing generous rental terms (which can best other specialty theatrical distributors). Separately, Indie B.O. sources tell us that The Irishman alone is approaching a national B.O. gross of $5M, and most of that cash for the $150M-$200M 3 1/2 hour Martin Scorsese production is in the hands of exhibitors. This weekend, The Irishman goes to 300 runs. Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story we hear is earning around $1M to date. And more Netflix pics are on the way with The Two Popes. The Netflix truncated theatrical pipeline is apparently not bad for business, and Netflix’s decision to crush windows provides more sway to exhibition when haggling over rental terms.
The Laemmle circuit was started in 1938 by Max Laemmle, and it has spanned three generations, including Max’s son Robert, and Robert’s son, Greg, now operating the business. Robert’s father Max and uncle Kurt were cousins of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle. Robert bought his first movie theater in Highland Park of Los Angeles.
Today, we also exclusively learned that the Music Hall in Beverly Hills is technically not closing. Laemmle will no longer lease the theater, rather the venue is expected to open sometime soon under the new management of former employees possibly as soon as Next Friday. Laemmle had operated the Music Hall since 1974 on a month-by-month lease. The theater is one of the city’s oldest movie houses having been around since the late 1930s.
Several sources had been telling me over the last month that Laemmle was on the verge of selling to Reading Cinemas out of NY which owns and operates the Angelika Film Center. What the Laemmles have that most major theater chains do not, are the property deeds to most of their locations, including the upcoming Newhall venue down the street from me. With property ownership comes the power to reap one’s own profits. Reading Cinema is a circuit that also owns their theaters; taking over leases I hear was not in the cards for them. Then, of course, there was no agreement in regards to the chain’s price. At the end of the day, it was better for the Laemmle family, which employs around 200, to maintain the beloved brand they built and control their own destiny. “Their heart is truly in the business, and they want to make sure this works,” says one major distribution booker who like many adores working with the family.
The indie circuit, based in the film capital of the world, counts the Claremont 5 in Claremont, the Ahrya Fine Arts Theatre in Beverly Hills, the Glendale, the Monica Film Center in Santa Monica, the Noho 7 in North Hollywood, the Playhouse 7 in Pasadena, the Royal in West Los Angeles and the Town Center 5 in Encino. New theaters are being developed in Azusa and Bellflower, and the Newhall location is expected to open in Q1 2020 or hopefully sooner.
The Newhall venue is located on the historic main street not far from Melody Ranch where Quentin Tarantino shot Django Unchained and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and HBO shoots Westworld and Deadwood. The Newhall site remained under construction during the sales talks and will offer Dolby 5.1 sound, digital projection, 7 auditoriums, lots of leg room and possibly beer and wine (an application is being reviewed). Plush seats are still being considered, but the location is expected to be more luxurious than their North Hollywood site, on par with Glendale.
Q4 this year has been a money-maker for Laemmle, another factor for keeping their doors open. Despite the dry spell at the indie B.O. throughout this year, pics like Parasite, The Lighthouse, Jojo Rabbit have bounced it back. And get this, even Netflix is an ample provider of income whether they’re four-walling or providing generous rental terms (which can best other specialty theatrical distributors). Separately, Indie B.O. sources tell us that The Irishman alone is approaching a national B.O. gross of $5M, and most of that cash for the $150M-$200M 3 1/2 hour Martin Scorsese production is in the hands of exhibitors. This weekend, The Irishman goes to 300 runs. Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story we hear is earning around $1M to date. And more Netflix pics are on the way with The Two Popes. The Netflix truncated theatrical pipeline is apparently not bad for business, and Netflix’s decision to crush windows provides more sway to exhibition when haggling over rental terms.
The Laemmle circuit was started in 1938 by Max Laemmle, and it has spanned three generations, including Max’s son Robert, and Robert’s son, Greg, now operating the business. Robert’s father Max and uncle Kurt were cousins of Universal Pictures founder Carl Laemmle. Robert bought his first movie theater in Highland Park of Los Angeles.
- 11/23/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
It looks like Los Angeles’s famed theater chain, Laemmle Theatres, isn’t up for sale after-all.
Greg Laemmle, president of the 80-year-old family-owned exhibitor, told the Los Angeles Times this week that they ultimately decided the reward of continuing to own the theaters and show art-house films outweighed that of selling, and the risk that comes with owning indie theaters.
“The market has improved, which gives us some flexibility on some level,” Laemmle told the L.A. Times. “I never thought what we were seeing was a fundamental change in audience’s interest in moviegoing.”
Also Read: The Death of Movie Theaters? Not So Fast
Laemmle did, however, have to board up the doors to the more than 80-year-old Music Hall theater in Beverly Hills, which Laemmle has owned and operated for more than four decades.
In a post on the theater’s website, the theater operator said it’s possible for the theater,...
Greg Laemmle, president of the 80-year-old family-owned exhibitor, told the Los Angeles Times this week that they ultimately decided the reward of continuing to own the theaters and show art-house films outweighed that of selling, and the risk that comes with owning indie theaters.
“The market has improved, which gives us some flexibility on some level,” Laemmle told the L.A. Times. “I never thought what we were seeing was a fundamental change in audience’s interest in moviegoing.”
Also Read: The Death of Movie Theaters? Not So Fast
Laemmle did, however, have to board up the doors to the more than 80-year-old Music Hall theater in Beverly Hills, which Laemmle has owned and operated for more than four decades.
In a post on the theater’s website, the theater operator said it’s possible for the theater,...
- 11/22/2019
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Los Angeles-based arthouse chain Laemmle Theatres has stopped seeking a buyer, four months after putting itself on the sales block amid slow sales.
Greg Laemmle, president of the 81-year-old exhibitor, announced the development Thursday. He told Variety that discussions with an unidentified buyer had reached an advanced stage but fell apart and that there has been an uptick in business recently, thanks partly to Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which will start streaming on Nov. 27.
“Our numbers have been improving lately,” he added. “We’ve done well with ‘The Irishman.’ There’s no question that people want to see good movies as they were intended on a big screen rather than waiting for it be available on streaming through Netflix.”
The privately held Laemmle circuit was launched in 1938 by Greg Laemmle’s grandfather Max Laemmle, and has been operated by the family since then. The chain’s sites are the Claremont 5 in Claremont,...
Greg Laemmle, president of the 81-year-old exhibitor, announced the development Thursday. He told Variety that discussions with an unidentified buyer had reached an advanced stage but fell apart and that there has been an uptick in business recently, thanks partly to Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which will start streaming on Nov. 27.
“Our numbers have been improving lately,” he added. “We’ve done well with ‘The Irishman.’ There’s no question that people want to see good movies as they were intended on a big screen rather than waiting for it be available on streaming through Netflix.”
The privately held Laemmle circuit was launched in 1938 by Greg Laemmle’s grandfather Max Laemmle, and has been operated by the family since then. The chain’s sites are the Claremont 5 in Claremont,...
- 11/22/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
North Park Theatre, a historic single-screen cinema in Buffalo, NY, will celebrate its centennial next year. However, as program director Ray Barker looks toward the next century, he sees a big problem: Disney. He doesn’t fear the blockbuster competition; he did well with “The Lion King.” But now that Disney owns Fox, it’s become impossible to screen classic Fox titles. He’s reached out to Disney repeatedly, but received no response.
“Why force titles like ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Alien’ off screens that are more eclectic in their offerings?” said Barker. “Tell us how providing us these films hurts their bottom line? The only way we can survive is to reach both first-run and repertory audiences.”
Barker isn’t alone in his frustration. While Disney will not comment on its library policy, IndieWire spoke to multiple theater owners and bookers, both independents and chains, and the bottom line seems...
“Why force titles like ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Alien’ off screens that are more eclectic in their offerings?” said Barker. “Tell us how providing us these films hurts their bottom line? The only way we can survive is to reach both first-run and repertory audiences.”
Barker isn’t alone in his frustration. While Disney will not comment on its library policy, IndieWire spoke to multiple theater owners and bookers, both independents and chains, and the bottom line seems...
- 9/6/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The Method Fest Independent Film Festival, which was founded in 1999 and ran annually through 2010, is returning and has booked a March 22-28 run at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, it was announced today by Laemmle Theaters co-owner Greg Laemmle and festival co-founder Don Franken.
Launched in 1999 at the Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena, the Method Fest, which focuses on indie features and actors’ performances, later moved to Calabasas for a six-year run. But in the wake of the 2008 recession and declining corporate contributions, it closed after its 2010 edition.
“Everyone ...
Launched in 1999 at the Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena, the Method Fest, which focuses on indie features and actors’ performances, later moved to Calabasas for a six-year run. But in the wake of the 2008 recession and declining corporate contributions, it closed after its 2010 edition.
“Everyone ...
- 12/4/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The Method Fest Independent Film Festival, which was founded in 1999 and ran annually through 2010, is returning and has booked a March 22-28 run at Laemmle’s Ahrya Fine Arts Theater in Beverly Hills, it was announced today by Laemmle Theaters co-owner Greg Laemmle and festival co-founder Don Franken.
Launched in 1999 at the Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena, the Method Fest, which focuses on indie features and actors’ performances, later moved to Calabasas for a six-year run. But in the wake of the 2008 recession and declining corporate contributions, it closed after its 2010 edition.
“Everyone ...
Launched in 1999 at the Laemmle Playhouse in Pasadena, the Method Fest, which focuses on indie features and actors’ performances, later moved to Calabasas for a six-year run. But in the wake of the 2008 recession and declining corporate contributions, it closed after its 2010 edition.
“Everyone ...
- 12/4/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
December 3
– A24 has acquired North American rights to “The Souvenir,” the latest feature film by celebrated British writer/director Joanna Hogg, from Protagonist Pictures and 30West. The film, which was announced last week as part of the Sundance line up, introduces Honor Swinton Byrne and also stars Tom Burke and co-stars Tilda Swinton. It will be released theatrically by A24 in 2019.
The film “follows a quiet film student (Swinton Byrne) who begins to find her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man (Burke). She defies her protective mother (Swinton) and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship that comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams.”
– Laemmle Theaters owner-operator Greg Laemmle and Don Franken, co-founder of The Method Fest Independent Film Festival, the only film festival dedicated to showcasing the art of acting, have announced that...
– A24 has acquired North American rights to “The Souvenir,” the latest feature film by celebrated British writer/director Joanna Hogg, from Protagonist Pictures and 30West. The film, which was announced last week as part of the Sundance line up, introduces Honor Swinton Byrne and also stars Tom Burke and co-stars Tilda Swinton. It will be released theatrically by A24 in 2019.
The film “follows a quiet film student (Swinton Byrne) who begins to find her voice as an artist while navigating a turbulent courtship with a charismatic but untrustworthy man (Burke). She defies her protective mother (Swinton) and concerned friends as she slips deeper and deeper into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship that comes dangerously close to destroying her dreams.”
– Laemmle Theaters owner-operator Greg Laemmle and Don Franken, co-founder of The Method Fest Independent Film Festival, the only film festival dedicated to showcasing the art of acting, have announced that...
- 12/3/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
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